Victory for unions as their candidate becomes Scottish Labour leader

JOHANN Lamont yesterday began her first full day as the new leader of Scottish Labour amid fears that she will be at the beck and call of trade unions.

Johann Lamont began as new leader of Scottish Labour fearing she will be at the mercy of the unions []

Like Ed Miliband, who became national leader last year, thanks to the support of the unions, Lamont was not the first choice of party members.

After the result was revealed on Saturday, it emerged that her closest rival for the job, MSP Ken Macintosh, had received more votes from the grassroots than she had.

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The former teacher and MSP for Glasgow Pollok, received 51 per cent of the total vote, winning marginally more votes among MSPs, MEPs and MPs. But it was the huge support from affiliated unions that clinched it for her.

Macintosh, the MSP for East Renfrewshire, who got 40 per cent of the total vote, was supported by 17.7 per cent of party members’ votes, compared with Lamont’s 12.2 per cent.

We need to remember equality is not just for when the sun shines, it’s even more important when the roof leaks

Johann Lamont

But he won only 8.8 per cent of the union vote, while 21.8 per cent voted for his rival.

Ms Lamont, 54, who takes charge of the whole of the party in Scotland in a new beefed-up leadership role, replaces Iain Gray, who quit after the SNP’s landslide victory in May.

Glasgow Central MP Anas Sarwar was elected as deputy Scottish Labour leader. After her victory, the new leader said nothing would be “off limits” in her efforts to reform the party.

In her speech following the announcement, she said Labour had looked like a “tired old political machine” as it plummeted against the SNP.

She declared she wants to bring new talent to the party, which needs fresh faces if it is to survive.

She said Labour would oppose independence in a referendum, but would support plans to “refresh and renew” devolution, while driving down power to local government.

Lamont has 12 years’ experience as an MSP and was deputy justice minister in the old Labour, Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive. She said: “We are no longer living in an age of plenty, and will not be for some time to come.

“We need to challenge ourselves to find new ways of delivering social justice in an age when resources are scarce.

“We need to remember equality is not just for when the sun shines, it’s even more important when the roof leaks.

“While I am leader, nothing will be off limits. Our one test will be what is in the interests of the people of Scotland – not what is in the interests of ourselves.”

Lamont joined the Labour party while studying at Glasgow University and was later active in the teachers’ union the EIS. Among the party posts she held was that of chairman of the Scottish Executive in 1993. She became deputy leader of Scottish Labour in 2008 and is now the first female leader of the Scottish Labour Party.